I called this in and they tried renaming my HD DVR and a red-button reset. Both didn't work.

Then they told me that this is a known issue and that DirecTV is working on it.

The problem exists using my PC on DirecTV.com. I tested recording the same On Demand free TV show using the DirecTV app on my Android mobile phone. I received a record confirmation on the phone's screen and about 5 minutes later I can see that the DVR is recording the episode. After this mobile app success, using the web site on PC didn't change...I still get the error.

Can anyone else please try to go to DirecTV.com on a PC, search for an On Demand TV show (free), and attempt to record to see if this is an issue systemwide? Thanks.

I just ran The Biggest Loser and took the first episode offered. It took maybe 10 seconds for it to pop up on my Genie. How about renewing your Internet connection at the DVR? The specific moves required is dependent on how your DVR is connected to the router.

Thanks for checking. I am able to get the same programs to record on the same DVR and Router with my Android DirecTV App, which would indicate to me that the local connection between my internet network and DVR is working but that there is something wrong with DirecTV.com when viewed on PC or how DirecTV.com is seeing my account settings. When using the Android app, the show doesn't start to record on my DVR in 10 seconds....it takes a little longer, but it works, which is fine. When I use the Android App, be, after I first hit Record on the search results it then shows me a screen with DVR Settings, showing my Receiver's name/location in the menu (below that there is just test that says "To record this title you need an HD DVR with internet connection" ) with the Green Record button at bottom. After I cilick the Green button, it goes through. I believe the Android App is all working normally. I assume you used a computer and DirecTV.com in a browser to test,

I was running IE10 on a PC. I understand re the Android, but my experience tells me the problem is in your configuration somewhere. Resetting the DVR is an easy try. You can force Directv to reset your access on all systems by opening your account and changing your password. Wait a day or two then change it back. The system will send the password changes to all of it's servers.

Update (for documenting what I've done): After changing my password, I restarted my Android phone and then started the DirecTV app. I searched for a show to record and my phone app showed my receiver automatically and confirmed the record request, without my having to put a password into the Android app. Note that the Android phone is currently on WIFI on the same network (and Sprint Airave on the same network) as DVR. I'll try it with phone WiFi off and Airave turned off, too. Note also that the PC is on the same router via WiFi as the DVR is on.

After taking the Android phone off WiFi and turned off the Airave, so that the phone is on 3G only and not on the LAN, then rebooted the phone and went into the DireTV App and was again able to search for and record a show. It had my DVR. It hasn't asked for a password...perhaps I'd have to uninstall and reinstall DirecTV app to have it prompt for password, but since it works ok on Android, I'll just leave it for now.

When I called in again today, DirecTV telephone technical support was unable to solve this issue on the phone. As of today, they have instructed me that the problem will be "sent to engineering,"

They told me that I should try to get it fixed on this Forum. They told me that DirecTV engineers are on the forum to fix issues. I told them that I posted this 8 days ago on this forum and that we have tried several things to fix the issue and that it seemed like there are expert helpers on this forum trying to help customers to help themselves but that is different from DirecTV Engineers taking the forum postings as service cases to be worked on.

One other thing that the phone support mentioned is that the attempt to rename my HD DVR was based on an earlier issue some months ago in which subscribers needed to make their HD DVR appear alphabetically higher on the list of receivers under My Equipment. The name of my HD DVR already puts it at the top of the list.

Thank you for writing us. I apologize for any trouble you experienced recording On Demand content from directv.com. I will be happy to assist you today. I have researched your concerns and I was able to duplicate the problem you were experiencing. I have forwarded this issue on to our directv.com support team and we will work to resolve this unfortunate issue for you as quickly as possible.

Another piece of information for your support engineers: On DirecTV.com in my account I can "Record Series" (broadcast programming from the guide) and it correctly gives me a confirmation in green that says it is recording the series to my DVR, correctly finding and citing the name of my HD DVR.

"Urban Tarzan has been scheduled to record on Tue, Apr 9, 10:30 PM EDT on channel 241 SpikeHD for the following receiver(s): discovery - 03568######5."

Only recording "On Demand" to this DVR from DirecTV.com in a browser doesn't work as already noted.

Another piece of information for your support engineers: On DirecTV.com in my account I can "Record Series" (broadcast programming from the guide) and it correctly gives me a confirmation in green that says it is recording the series to my DVR, correctly finding and citing the name of my HD DVR.

"Urban Tarzan has been scheduled to record on Tue, Apr 9, 10:30 PM EDT on channel 241 SpikeHD for the following receiver(s): discovery - 03568######5."

Only recording "On Demand" to this DVR from DirecTV.com in a browser doesn't work as already noted.

Note that none of DirecTV's support engineers will see your post here. We're all customers like you. You'll want to email this sort of information directly to DirecTV.

Understood. I told the phone agent that and prompted her to take further steps rather than her direction to me, which was to just depend on the forums. I also sent it via email to DirecTV, as documented above.

The techs or agents from email actually logged onto my account and changed my password in order to test it. So that's a good sign that they are at least trying.

DirecTV Repair was here today and replaced my HD DVR for a different problem. After they installed the H24-500, it worked well, in general, but the original problem here in this thread has now recurred. I cannot use DirecTV.com to record episodes of TV programs on demand. I can, however, get to the programs through the remote control and receiver.

When I check "My Equipment" on DirecTV.com it shows the new HD DVR, but it says "Connected to Internet: NO"

On the DVR, I have run the networking tests and the DVR on the TV screen says that the DVR is Connected to the Internet. I can see the IP address for the DVR on my Router's config pages.

I have tried resetting the HD DVR, and reauthorizing it. I have logged out of DirecTV.com and back in.

I called DirecTV and they said that they sent a "callback request" to the DVR and that it could take 24 hours for the DVR to call back to the server to update. I'm not so confident in this advice but will have to wait til tomorrow.

Thanks. It's a day later and My Equipment on the web site still says that the new DVR isn't connected to the internet.

UPDATE: Using the web browser, I am able to get through the steps to Record Series on the same DVR. The result of Record Series is that the next episode of the series is placed in the DVR's Recordings To Do list. However Series Manager shows 0 Series being recorded. I've added about a dozen series...and all the next episodes do show up in the To Do list, but nothing in the Series Manager list so far.

I still cannot get through the steps to record an on demand episode of a series.

My DirecTV.com account still says that the new HD DVR is not connected to the Internet, even though the device itself says that it is connected.

None of the Series that I set up to record using the website have shown up in the DVR's Series Manager. The next episodes are set to record in the To Do list, though.

I have noticed that some of the graphics that are downloaded after a receiver is installed (such as the logo/icons for TV stations, and the images on the "My DirecTV" screen when I press MENU on the remote) have been downloading in teh background and are updating normally.

When I press "DASH" on the remote, I see that SWiM is connected and Internet is connected.

When I go to Menu > Settings & Help > Settings > Network Setup >

Test Connection says that the Software is 0x740, Yesterday, 4:24a (so that's a day after the receiver was installed)

Run System Test only gives Diagnostic Cod 72-291 (no phone dial tone) which is normal and OK.

More System Info says the Network IP address is 192.168.0.50 (so the DVR thinks it's online even if directv.com doesn't think so)

Question: the Network DNS here says 192,168.0.1 (same as Default Gateway, which is my Router's IP)...I use a different DNS setting within the router (Google's DNS 8.8.8.8) Is the DVR's DNS IP = Router's IP a normal state? I tried changing the IP address for DNS on the DVR manually to 8.8.8.8 but after submitting that it changed back to 192.168.0.1 automatically and instantly.

Also the Router's list of IP addresses today doesn't show the HD DVR at 192.168.0.50, even though it did show up there yesterday

I also just tried setting the Router's DMZ to the IP address of the HD DVR, then repeated Network Setup on the DVR. The result was that it says on the TV screen that the DVR is connected to the Internet.

I had called on the day of installation (Nov 1) and they sent a message asking for the DVR to callback to DirecTV.

I just called and talked to a tech guy at DirecTV. He reported that the DVR had not done the callback. He did deactivate and reactivate my HD-DVR and other receiver, as you suggested. He had me Repeat Network Setup on the DVR. The DVR reports (as it did before) that it's Connected to Internet.

Web site still says "Connected to Internet: No"

The tech agent said that DVR just did give a callback during the call. We checked and the web site did not confirm that it's connected to Internet.

He said that he would try activating "Whole Home" to see if that changes anything. It did not fix anything.

It remains as being escalated.

Please refer back to my original issue like this in March. None of the steps we took back then made any difference. I don't recall that that incident was preceded by a change of equipment. The problem did resolve itself over a longer period of time, (not just days) but no one knows why.

He tried really hard to get me to give up on the problem, saying it could just be a glitch that he can't fix. I urged him to keep on it and to do some research. His focus is on getting this case closed, unfortunately. I really have to push him to work on actually fixing this. I have little confidence in his abilities. He thought I should clear my cookies, which is obviously not the problem here. (Flashbacks of the SNL skit laste week about Sebeilus telling everyone to "Restart Your Computer" to fix broken Obamacare website).

He's escalating this to programming.

(He's the same case manager who told me last week that it's normal for the HD DVR to take up to 8 seconds to respond each time I press a button on the remote and that if it works in 8 seconds or less that I don't need to fix anything. Yes, he said that. He was wrong. The new HD DVR responds much more quickly to the remote than the prior one did. So he tried to get me to give up on the prior problem too.)

NOT FIXED: Check Series Manager on HD DVR and none of the series that I had set to record using the website on my PC From Nov 1 to Nov 5 have been pushed to the DVR. Same as prior days, the next episodes of each of the series is in the Recordings To Do list, but not correctly in the Series Manager.

Confirmed that only the next episode of a series is being recorded after putting in the Series Record request online. Subsequent episodes have been missed and are not scheduled to record in the future. (Tested Jeopardy!, which is on 6 days a week and it is not in the To Do list after recording a prior episode ordered by Series Record on DirecTV.com. Adding Jeopardy! again as a series through web site again only puts the next episode, not other episodes in the To Do list. This happens instantly.)

NOT SURE IF FIXED: On DirecTV.com (today, after the web site reports that DVR is now connected to internet) I searched for a TV Series and put in the order to Record 3 different Series. I received the on computer screen and email confirmations, as before. In the DVR, Menu, Recordings, To Do list, the next episodes of these Series are showing up instantly. However, so far the Series are not showing up in the Series Manager on the DVR. It's been over 3 hours since the first one. Will check again later. This used to work but I don't know the time lag.

FIXED: DirecTV.com, Now when I try to record an On Demand episode (previously aired) of a Network TV show (NBC On Demand Ch 1004), I can record using the web browser on a PC. I get a confirmation message online and checking DVR List, it is recording the episode. The episode plays back normally. (Nov 1-5 it would not do this, instead giving me the "You do not have any eligible receivers..." error message.)

Update: 10 days after installation, when I go to Directv.com and record a series it successfully sends the Series to Series Manager on the HD DVR. I don't know what day this worked itself out on, but on Day 6 it didn't work and by Day 10 it did work.

So when we think of "be patient" we need to be patient for at least a week for this issue to work itself out.

See all the notes above. The Android App started working to record Series before the web site did. But the Android App (on tablet and phone) didn't work at first...they took a few days to kick in, I believe.

Note for all of us who may encounter this again. "Patience" was apparently good advice...but needs to be defined as "wait for a week or more for the whole issue to clear up." It's carefully documented here that a few days didn't fix the issue but by Day 10 it mostly seems fixed.

DirecTV and the experts here should be advised of what we learned in this case (note how the case started in the spring and repeated itself in the fall of this year....so it could happen again).